Building assembly and aligning means for use therein



Nov. 24, 1936. G. E. sHlPyvAY 2,061,882

BUILDING ASSEMBLY AND ALIGNING MEANS,y FOR USE THEREIN Filed sept. 5, 1955 Wijf. ff W @f INVENTOR Ge orge E. LShip way.

B-Y' @h/Md.

ATTORNEYv 1 Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING ASSEMBLY ALIGNING MEANS FOR USE THEREIN Application September 5, 1935, Serial' No. 39,261

6' Claims.

This invention relates to an assembly suitable for use as a building wall, partition, or the like,

and to aligning means adapted for use therein.

A desirable type of facing unit for walls is one combining a substantially unyielding exterior or front portion with a yieldable back portion.

Thus, the front or face portion of such a unit may consist of a hardened asbestos-cement board or panel and ythe back portion may be constituted of a fibre insulating board, the'two portions being secured together in any suitable manner, as, for example, by an adhesive.

In the use of such improved composite panels or the like as the interior finishing material -for the walls of adwelling, for example, it is desirable to' secure the panels to the substructure by fastening means that are concealed from View and that will maintain the outer (exposed) faces oftheunits in alignment, regardless of the possible partial crushing or compressing of the yieldablebackv portions against the frame members of the substructure during the assembly or of other complicatingV factors.

" The present' invention comprises concealed means'` of7 makingV and maintaining the desired 'alignment of the faces of the abutting units, and closing-"the joint therebetween, while maintaining the back portions of the facing units snugly against-the faces of the frame members ofthe wall; The invention comprises, also, the' means for effecting such alignment and snug fitting of the facing units. The facing units may consist of single sheets of relatively hard material, two ormore'sheets of such'material adhered tog-ether, oran unyielding sheet and a yieldable sheet adhered'together. Other objects and advantages williappear from the detailed description that follows.v

An embodiment of the invention that is preferred at thistime is illustrated in the attached dirawing' and will be described in connectioni therewith.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an assembly made in accordance with my invention. 45 Fig.. 2 shows a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3- shows a sectional view on line'3-3 of Fig. 2. v Y

Fig. 4 shows a perspectiveview'on an enlarged scale, as compared with the scale of the other figures, of a portion of my improved grooved facing unit.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of my assembly,

in: incomplete form, and-driving ineansin-position` for securing the fastening member to the substructure. Y

Fig. 6 shows a rear perspective View of the said driving` means.

In the various' figures, like reference charac- 51 ters denote like parts.

There are `shown frame members II, such as wooden studs or beams or the like, penetrable to nails or their equivalent,` facing units I2 and I3 meeting in flush relationship, to form a joint I4 10' extending between the edge portions of the adjacent units and infront of the face of a frame member.

The panels are provided with grooves I5, one in each of the adjacent edge portions, spaced is equally from the outside faces I6 of the units and extending. inwardly from the said' edge portions', on each sideV of the said joint. The groove on one side of a joint opens toward and registers in the finished assembly with the groove on the opposite 20 side of the joint.

These grooves may be cut in any convenient manner, as, for example, by a small power-driven circular saw having conventional means for controlling the position of the cutting with respect '2'5 to thek surface I6l of the unit and the depth to which the groove isv formed thereof.

For certain purposes of the invention, the front portion I'I of the facing unit is substantially unyielding and mayv consist, for example, of the 3f) asbestos-cement board mentioned above, whereas the back portion I8l may be resiliently yieldable, as exemplied, for instance, by the yieldability of conventional fibre insulating board of thicknessl of 1/2 to l inch, more or less. The front and 35 back portions may be adhered together, as at zone I 9", byan asphaltic composition or other satisfactoryV adhesive.

When the resiliently yieldable back portion suchas insulating bre board is used, the groove 40 I5 for convenience may be formed in this portion of the composite facing unit.

Aligning means 20, such as a strip of iron, steel, or other strong and rigid material, is engaged in the pair of grooves opening toward-each other at the joint between adjacent panels. The aligning means extends substantially continuously in the grooves, on each side of the joint, and preferably is of width and thickness approximately to fill the groove, so that the exterior faces of the adjacent units are heldin-approximate alignment at the joint position.v

Means 2-'I- that may be integral with the alignment means, say, nails spot-welded at their heads tofthe strip 20,.at spaced positions therealong, se-

cure the said means to one of the frame members and hold the back portions of the edges of adjacent panels in snug or tight fit against the face of the said member, as illustrated at position Z2. For som-e purposes, the fastening members such as the nails 2| may extend through the strip 2|), as, for example, through preformed holes therein.

In any case, the alignment and fastening means described may be disposed, and engage the facing units, completely behind the front portions thereof and are concealed from view in the finished wall assembly.

A stem element of the said means, such as the stem of the nail 2|, extends between the back portions of the units. When these back portions are resiliently yieldable, as described, the back portions may be forced tightly against the stem element, whereby they are dented, caused to embed the said stem, and to abut on either side thereof, all as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In making the assembly of the present invention, one of the grooved panels is brought into proper registration with the face of the frame member Il. The alignment strip 20 is engaged in the groove and the nail 2| or the like is forced laterally partly into the edge of the back portion, as illustrated in the case of the yieldable material at the right in Fig. 3. The nail is then driven part way into the frame member This forcing of the member 2l laterally against the yieldable backing portion of the unit and subsequent driving into the frame member is accomplished by means of the driving plate shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and a hammer or the like used in connection therewith. The driving plate comprises a back portion 23 adapted to contact with the side of the member 2| and to keep it approximately straight while the said member is being driven, a front portion 24 adapted to extend over the front of the facing unit, and a spacing element 25 separating the portions 23 and 24 advantageously, by about the width of the unyielding front portion of the facing unit. The tool is so made as to conform approximately with the alignment means 20, as shown, and keep the alignment means and the means 2| in proper relationship during the making of the assembly, while force is applied to the outside of the driving tool and about in line with the stem of the member 2 I, as by a hammer or mallet.

After the partial assembly has been made as illustrated in Fig. 5, the facing unit that is to constitute the left portion of the assembly is brought into position and driven laterally against the portion of the assembly previously made, so that the back portion of the driven panel is caused to be dented around the stem 2| of the nail and to contact with the edge portion of the panel previously secured to the member as shown in Fig. 3. Finally, the stem 2| is driven home, as by hammer blows` applied to a board `or other force-distributing member laid over the joint portion.

The finished assembly has the desirable features previously indicated. Thus, there is alignment of the outside faces of abutting panels. The means 20 also close the joint. Finally, the snug and conforming fit between the yieldable back portion of the units and the frame member eliminates drafts or air circulation therebetween as well as rattling. Also, this back portion provides a cushioning effect for the less readily yielding front portion of the unit.

Y The joint between the front portion, of the facing units, that is, in front of the salu. grooves, may be very narrow and inconspicuous. If desired, however, a bead 26 may be inserted into this part of the joint from a forward position. If the bead is to be used, the joint should be made somewhat wider than is the case if the joint is to be made inconspicuous simply by the close abutment of the edges of the front portions of adjacent panels. A bead, if used, is preferably springy and provided at its rear with slightly outturned heels that become engaged in the joint, as illustrated in Fig. 2. If desired, the bead may be made integral with the spline 'element 2|). Thus, a wire may be welded, braZed or otherwise attached to the spline and adapted to form the bead 26.

The details given are for the purpose of illustration, not restriction. It is intended, therefore, that variations within the spirit of the invention are to be included in the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wall assembly including a supporting structure, facing units meeting at edge portions to form a flush joint in front of the supporting structure and provided with grooves, one in the edge portion of each facing unit, spaced equally from the outer faces of the facing units and extending inwardly from the edge portions thereof on each side of the joint, aligning means engaged in the said grooves and maintaining the outer faces of the said units in alignment, and means securing the aligning means to the said supporting structure and holding the back portions of the facing units firmly thereagainst.

2. A wall assembly including a supporting structure, facing units meeting at edge portions to form a flush joint in front of the supporting structure and provided with grooves, one in the edge portion of each facing unit, spaced equally from the outer faces of the facing units and extending inwardly from the edge portions thereof on each lSide of the joint, aligning means engaged in the said grooves, extending substantially continuously therealong, on each side of the joint, and maintaining the faces of the said units in alignment, and means securing the said aligning means to the supporting structure and holding the back portions of the facing units firmly thereagainst.

3. A wall assembly including a supporting structure, facing units meeting at edge portions to form a flush joint in front of the supporting structure and provided with grooves, one in the edge portion of each unit, spaced equally from the outer faces of the facing units and extending inwardly from the edge portions thereof on each side of the joint, a unitary strip of strong rigid material extending across the joint and continuously into each of the grooves and aligning the outer faces of the said units, and means securing the said strip to the supporting structure and holding the back of the` facing units rmly thereagainst.

4. A wall assembly, as described in claim 1, the facing units having a front portion that is substantially unyielding and a back portion that is resiliently yieldable, the back portions of the units tting snugly against the supporting structure and providing a cushion for the said front portions of the units.

5. A wall assembly, as described in claim 1, having a bead member engaged in and closing the portion of the joint in front of the said grooves.

CDL

6. A wall assembly including a penetrable sup- 75 porting structure, facing units meeting at edge portions to form a flush joint therebetween, front portions of the said units that are substantially unyielding, back portions thereof that are yieldable, and fastening means securing the said units to the supporting structure, the fastening means being disposed, and engaging the facing units at positions, completely behind the said front portions thereof and having a stem element extending between the back portion of adjacent units and into the supporting structure, and the said back portions of adjacent units being forced laterally against the said stem element and abutting on either side thereof.

GEO. E. SI-IIPWAY. 

